Taxi driver hides for two months after winning Barclays land
Dec 21, 2008
WHEN the phone rung and he was told that the bank was looking for him, Kiiza began to panick. What could a bank need from a humble taxi driver? With many unanswered questions, Kiiza disappeared without a trace. And when the calls kept coming, he switched off hi
By Joseph Kariuki
WHEN the phone rung and he was told that the bank was looking for him, Kiiza began to panick. What could a bank need from a humble taxi driver? With many unanswered questions, Kiiza disappeared without a trace. And when the calls kept coming, he switched off his phone to avoid the insistent caller.
From August to October, the 36-year-old Sam Kiiza tried so hard to avoid calls from Barclays Bank.
But the bank dug up his documents from their records and called his next of kin, Abraham Omaidu, a brother and pastor at Naminya Gospel Messenger Church in Mukono.
“The bank asked me if I knew Sam. The Jinja branch manager told me my brother had won a plot of land in the ‘Wangula Ettaka promotion’,†Omaidu said.
But he too could not believe it until he carried out his secret investigations into the matter which confirmed the ‘lies’ of the bank. So he decided to look for his brother.
“I found him in Soroti where he had taken refugee for two months. He thought the bank wanted to arrest him,†Omadiu narrated.
He left everyone laughing when he said on reaching the bank, Kiiza ran away again.
“I had to prove to him that indeed he had won the plot,†Omadiu said.
On arrival, the obviously relieved manager handed him the letter which contained the good news.
They immediately went to Seguku Jomayi Housing Estate where the father of eight will soon reside.
Kiiza, excitedly narrated why he had gone into hiding when the bank broke the news.
“What made me run away was that I thought I could not win. I thought only rich people can win. My friends in the taxi park advised me to run away,†he said while receiving his title deed from Barclays’ head of liabilities, Wilbrod Owor at Jomayi Housing Estate.
Kiiza, who is a polygamist, had never dreamt of owning a piece of land in a posh housing estate.
He said he would save money and get a loan to build a house for his family.
He will soon be a neighbour to Entebbe Mayor Stephen Kabuye and Kasiro County (Soroti district) MP Elijah Okupa.
The two recently won land in the same promotion.
“I did not have the millions to buy a plot here but Barclays has made my dream come true,†said Kabuye.
He said plots now go for sh20m for a 50 by 100 ft.
Kabuye said that land was a long term asset as opposed to cars and cash prizes and that he would always cherish his win.
The Wangula Ettaka promotion has been an opportunity for Barclay’s customers to get more value out of their Barclays experience.
The promotion which started on July 4, and ended on September 30, gave customers who doubled their deposits a chance to win one of three plots of land at Seguku.
Seguku is located about 12kms on Kampala-Entebbe highway.
WHEN the phone rung and he was told that the bank was looking for him, Kiiza began to panick. What could a bank need from a humble taxi driver? With many unanswered questions, Kiiza disappeared without a trace. And when the calls kept coming, he switched off his phone to avoid the insistent caller.
From August to October, the 36-year-old Sam Kiiza tried so hard to avoid calls from Barclays Bank.
But the bank dug up his documents from their records and called his next of kin, Abraham Omaidu, a brother and pastor at Naminya Gospel Messenger Church in Mukono.
“The bank asked me if I knew Sam. The Jinja branch manager told me my brother had won a plot of land in the ‘Wangula Ettaka promotion’,†Omaidu said.
But he too could not believe it until he carried out his secret investigations into the matter which confirmed the ‘lies’ of the bank. So he decided to look for his brother.
“I found him in Soroti where he had taken refugee for two months. He thought the bank wanted to arrest him,†Omadiu narrated.
He left everyone laughing when he said on reaching the bank, Kiiza ran away again.
“I had to prove to him that indeed he had won the plot,†Omadiu said.
On arrival, the obviously relieved manager handed him the letter which contained the good news.
They immediately went to Seguku Jomayi Housing Estate where the father of eight will soon reside.
Kiiza, excitedly narrated why he had gone into hiding when the bank broke the news.
“What made me run away was that I thought I could not win. I thought only rich people can win. My friends in the taxi park advised me to run away,†he said while receiving his title deed from Barclays’ head of liabilities, Wilbrod Owor at Jomayi Housing Estate.
Kiiza, who is a polygamist, had never dreamt of owning a piece of land in a posh housing estate.
He said he would save money and get a loan to build a house for his family.
He will soon be a neighbour to Entebbe Mayor Stephen Kabuye and Kasiro County (Soroti district) MP Elijah Okupa.
The two recently won land in the same promotion.
“I did not have the millions to buy a plot here but Barclays has made my dream come true,†said Kabuye.
He said plots now go for sh20m for a 50 by 100 ft.
Kabuye said that land was a long term asset as opposed to cars and cash prizes and that he would always cherish his win.
The Wangula Ettaka promotion has been an opportunity for Barclay’s customers to get more value out of their Barclays experience.
The promotion which started on July 4, and ended on September 30, gave customers who doubled their deposits a chance to win one of three plots of land at Seguku.
Seguku is located about 12kms on Kampala-Entebbe highway.